Maruru (Offerings of Gratitude), from the Noa Noa Suite - Paul Gauguin

Gift of Frank B. Hubachek

"Maruru (Offerings of Gratitude), from the Noa Noa Suite" by Paul Gauguin (1893/94) Wood-block print, printed twice in yellow ocher and black inks, with selective wiping of the black ink, over a yellow ink tone block, transferred golden-yellow, green, and red-orange, and stenciled red oil-based media, some containing beeswax and conifer resin (probably pine resin), on cream wove paper.

Commentary

"Maruru (Offerings of Gratitude), from the Noa Noa Suite" by Paul Gauguin (1893/94) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. Its painted surface guides your eye through color, brushwork, and contrast rather than through narrative alone. Themes to notice i nclude woodcut. This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Drawings collection. Paul Gauguin is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Paul Gauguin French, 1848-1903. The work is cataloged within a France cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as woodcut, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Wood-block print, printed twice in yellow ocher and black inks, with selective wiping of the black ink, over a yellow ink tone block, transferred golden-yellow, green, and red-orange, and stenciled red oil-based media, some containing beeswax and conifer resin (probably pine resin), on cream wove paper) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Image: 20.4 × 35.6 cm (8 1/16 × 14 1/16 in.); Sheet: 26.4 × 50.2 cm (10 7/16 × 19 13/16 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include woodcut. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/72633

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data